The Ultimate Why Bats Hang Upside Down Quiz

Have you ever tried hanging upside down for a while? After a few minutes all the blood has rushed to your head and you need to flip yourself upright before you pass out. However, bats sleep comfortably upside down. Take this quiz and learn more about how bats do this without going batty.

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Question 1 of 15

At what time of day do bats hunt for prey?

morning

noon

night

Bats do their hunting at night. During the day they sleep.

Question 2 of 15

What sort of foods do bats eat?

insects

fruit

both of the above

Bats eat insects, small animals and fruits, though different bats have different diets.

Question 3 of 15

Where do bats like to sleep?

in busy areas

in secluded areas

Bats find secluded areas, such as a cave, the underside of a bridge or the inside of a hollowed-out tree to sleep in.

in tropical areas

Question 4 of 15

Which animals are bats related to?

lemurs

Bats originated from the prosimian group and are related to lemurs.

apes

mice

Question 5 of 15

The prosimians were native to which country?

Madagascar

Norway

Prosimians were native to Madagascar millions of years ago.

Australia

Question 6 of 15

How did bats develop wings?

They stretched their skin to make wings.

Through an evolutionary process.

Bats used to leap through the air from branch to branch, like lemurs. Some bats had a mutation where they developed extra skin extending between their arms and their body, helping them to leap through the air. This mutation favored greater mobility and thus survival, leading to the evolution of fully functional wings.

They tried to fly and eventually wings grew.

Question 7 of 15

Why did bats develop wings?

to reach fruit high up in the trees

Bats moved up into the trees in order to eat fruit. They developed wings in order to do this.

to escape from predators

to prey on insects

Question 8 of 15

What happened to bats once they developed wings?

Their eyes grew weaker.

Their legs grew longer.

They couldn't use their hands.

Bats lost the ability to use their hands, since their hands had turned into wings. Instead, they had to use their thumbs and their feet.

Question 9 of 15

Why are bats unique mammals?

They are nocturnal.

They hibernate.

They hang upside down.

Bats are the only mammals that hang upside down. Since bats could no longer use their hands after they developed wings, they instead had to use their legs to support them while roosting. They therefore developed mechanisms that allowed them to hang upside down for long periods.

Question 10 of 15

How does hanging upside down help bats?

They are in a good position for take-off.

They can hide from danger.

Both of the above.

A bat's wings are not strong enough to launch them off the ground from a dead stop. Hanging upside down allows bats to fall into flight. Also, bats are able to roost high up where most animals cannot reach them and do not fight with them for roosting spots. This helps bats to hide from danger and roost comfortably.

Question 11 of 15

Bats have a mechanism similar to which other animal that helps to keep blood from draining in their heads while they hang upside down?

cats

giraffes

Similar to the valves in a giraffe's neck that help to bring the blood up to its brain, a bat has a special valve in its neck that stops blood from draining in its head while it hangs upside down.

turkeys

Question 12 of 15

How are tendons normally moved?

by muscle relaxation

by muscle contraction

In most creatures, in order to move a tendon the muscles connected to the tendon are contracted, pulling the tendon. For example, if you want to clench your fingers closed, you will need to contract your arm muscles which will pull on the tendons and pull your fingers closed.

by muscle spasm

Question 13 of 15

How does a bat manage to hang upside down for so long?

Their talon's tendons are attached to their spine.

Their talon's tendons are very short.

Their talon's tendons are connected to their upper body.

The tendons of a bat's talons are connected to its upper body, rather than to muscle. When a bat hangs upside down it needs to use muscle to open its talons and grip a surface. As it relaxes, the weight of its upper body pulls down on the tendons connected to the talons, causing the talons to close and lock into the position, enabling the bat to remain upside down comfortably for long periods.

Question 14 of 15

What happens when a bat dies?

It continues to hang.

A bat will remain hanging even after it dies, since its talons remain closed while the bat is relaxed. It will only come loose if something else jostles it off its hanging perch.

Its falls to the ground.

Its claws contract tightly.

Question 15 of 15

What has happened to a bat's body as a result of spending so much time upside down?

It has strong leg muscles.

It has strong arm muscles.

Bats have lost leg muscle mass since the blood moves to their arms while they are upside down. However, this has allowed them to develop strong arm muscles to aid with flying as a result of the nutrients supplied by the blood flowing to their arms.